Off to camp: Former Elon star sets sights on NFL spot with Ravens

Published: Sunday, July 21, 2013 at 12:54 AM.

The Baltimore Ravens have held various minicamps and organized team activities during the past two months, each installment acquainting Aaron Mellette more with his new job as an NFL player.

And now it’s time to get down to work in full.

The former Elon University star receiver reports today for training camp, along with other Ravens rookies. Veterans arrive Wednesday. A day later the grind of practices and meetings commences.

Eventually, a 90-man training camp roster will be pared into a 53-man squad.

Mellette, a seventh-round draft choice, the 238th overall selection taken 17 picks before the end, is approaching the coming weeks with a no-nonsense focus on the business of professional football.

“You’re going in there trying to make a name for yourself, trying to impress the coaching staff and trying to prove you’re good enough to be kept around,” he said. “And you’re going in there to not only earn a spot, but you’re going in there to try to take another guy’s spot, another guy who’s trying to feed his family.”

Mellette, Elon’s second NFL draftee in the last 21 years, can envision himself ultimately developing into one of the league’s go-to receivers — an “alpha dog,” in his words — as he became in college on the Football Championship Subdivision level.

The Baltimore Ravens have held various minicamps and organized team activities during the past two months, each installment acquainting Aaron Mellette more with his new job as an NFL player.

And now it’s time to get down to work in full.

The former Elon University star receiver reports today for training camp, along with other Ravens rookies. Veterans arrive Wednesday. A day later the grind of practices and meetings commences.

Eventually, a 90-man training camp roster will be pared into a 53-man squad.

Mellette, a seventh-round draft choice, the 238th overall selection taken 17 picks before the end, is approaching the coming weeks with a no-nonsense focus on the business of professional football.

“You’re going in there trying to make a name for yourself, trying to impress the coaching staff and trying to prove you’re good enough to be kept around,” he said. “And you’re going in there to not only earn a spot, but you’re going in there to try to take another guy’s spot, another guy who’s trying to feed his family.”

Mellette, Elon’s second NFL draftee in the last 21 years, can envision himself ultimately developing into one of the league’s go-to receivers — an “alpha dog,” in his words — as he became in college on the Football Championship Subdivision level.

That’s a hopeful destination for the future.

In the here and now, he has formed and written down two primary goals:

-- Learn Baltimore’s playbook as quickly as possible and reach a strong understanding of it.

-- Make the team and make an impact.

“Those goals are going to start changing as the season goes along,” he said. “They might even change during training camp, depending on how stuff goes.”

Training camp with the Super Bowl champion Ravens figures to offer plenty of opportunities for aspiring receivers to shine and earn playing time.

Anquan Boldin was traded in March and behind top targets Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, the depth chart is wide open, yet also packed with unproven candidates striving to secure roster spots.

Tandon Doss, David Reed, Tommy Streeter, Deonte Thompson and LaQuan Williams are the main competition for Mellette. Basic math suggests one from that group of six, Mellette included, likely won’t be retained on Baltimore’s final 53-man roster.

“I haven’t stepped on a real NFL field yet,” Mellette said, “so those guys, they’re already ahead of me on the experience curve. But I’m not going to shy away from the moment when it presents itself.”

Mellette already has switched jersey numbers, discarding the No. 80 he had originally with the Ravens in favor of No. 13.

Visually, it’s not much of a departure from the No. 3 he wore so stylishly at Elon while amassing 304 catches, 4,264 receiving yards and 44 touchdown grabs to rank second in Southern Conference history in each category.

“I feel more like myself when I see a ‘3’ there on my number,” he said.

The 23-year-old Mellette wants to stay practical about the handsome new digits in his bank account.

He signed a four-year contract worth $2.2 million and is scheduled to be paid $405,000 this season, $495,000 in 2014, $585,000 in 2015 and $675,000 in 2016.

A certain message resonated last month at the NFL Rookie Symposium.

“You have an expiration date and nobody knows when that day is coming,” he said, repeating the advice that struck a chord.

“Financially, I just look at it like try to save as much as possible, only get stuff I absolutely need. That money might not last forever.”

Mellette has been on the move of late.

Las Vegas, to take part in a company retreat last weekend for Dow Lohnes Sports & Entertainment, the agency that represents him. He enjoyed the business meetings and bowling there.

Miami, to work out during the week of July 4 at Bommarito Performance, where he trained during most of January in preparation for the Senior Bowl.

Sanford, most recently, for a stopover to visit with family and friends, before training camp cranks up and the true demands of his new job take root.

Through it all, Mellette has maintained his morning running regimen that kicks off daily at 7:30 a.m.

“It would feel weird not to be working out,” he said. “I’m just trying to stay focused and take it one day at a time, one meeting at a time, one play at a time. You’ve got to be your best every day, because every day you’re competing for a spot.”